“A first principle of nonviolence as a way of life is that we begin by examining and seeking to change our own hearts and actions. The first step, and one that must be taken each day, is a turning inward, a perusal of the soul to discover and lay open both the seeds and the wounds of violence deep within our own hearts.”—Robert McGlasson
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
In a time when life can be made so complicated
By division and discord
By fear and mistrust
By political and religious differences
At times like this we need your gentle reminder, Lord
Help us to see the divine light around us
Remind us through words such as were shared by Merton
Life is this simple: we are living in a world that is absolutely transparent and the divine is shining through it all the time. — Thomas Merton in his final as Novice Master at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
We’re gradually emerging from the coronavirus pandemic. And along with the relief I’ve been feeling has come a sober recognition. We were already in another sort of epidemic before anyone had ever heard of COVID-19.
Aggression, addiction, and anxiety are symptoms of this illness. And these symptoms have become increasingly common for years.
They point to a spiritual condition: despair. The sense that all our struggles and yearnings and sacrifices might be pointless. In other words, we’re in the midst of a crisis of hope… read further at https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/49244398/posts/3360154613
“Nonviolence is more than the refusal of violent means. It is a method for resolving conflicts and injustices, and it is a spirit.”
—Alain Richard
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It was a wonderful breakfast with dear friends who are family
It has been a good day of reflection, study, and ministry
It has been a good day for zoom fellowship with colleagues
It has been a lovely evening with my sweetheart and our puppy
Sister Moon invites me to slow down and enter into the cosmic dance
When we are alone on a starlit night; when by chance we see the migrating birds in autumn descending on a grove of junipers to rest and eat; when we see children in a moment when they are really children; when we know love in our own hearts; or when, like the Japanese poet Bashō we hear an old frog land in a quiet pond with a solitary splash—at such times the awakening, the turning inside out of all values, the “newness,” the emptiness and the purity of vision that make themselves evident, provide a glimpse of the cosmic dance. (Thomas Merton—New Seeds of Contemplation, p. 296-297)
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
| Verse of the day Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” – Isaiah 6:8 |
| Voice of the day Talk to me, Poem, I think I got the blues. – Nikki Giovanni |
| Prayer of the day Holy, holy, holy God, fill us with strength and courage, with discernment and compassion, that we may be your instruments of justice and love in this world, that it may be on earth as it is in heaven. – From Revised Common Lectionary Prayers |
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Thank you for a day of worship preparation and reflection
Thank you for a time of study
Thank you for a time to simply Be Still
Thank you for a time of wonderful fellowship with my small group/family
Thank you for an evening with dear friends who are family
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“To form beloved community we do not surrender ties to precious origins. We deepen those bondings by connecting them with anti-racist struggle which is at heart always a movement to disrupt that clinging to cultural legacies that demands investment in notions of racial purity, authenticity, national fundamentalism.”—bell hooks
| Verse of the day When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. – Acts 2:1-4 |
| Voice of the day Where the Spirit of God is, there is divine desire not simply for God but for one another and not simply for one another but for those to whom we are sent by the Spirit, to those already being drawn into communion with God and sensing the desire of God for the expansion of their lives into the lives of others. – Willie James Jennings, Acts: A Theological Commentary |
| Prayer of the day Holy God, you spoke the world into being. Pour your Spirit to the ends of the earth, that your children may return from exile as citizens of your commonwealth, and our divisions may be healed by your word of love and righteousness. Amen. – From Revised Common Lectionary Prayers |
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
On Pentecost the Spirit equipped the disciples
On Pentecost the church continues to be challenged
Spirit bring us a fresh, new perspective on selfless discipleship
Help us to live into the command of Jesus
Help us to be loving
Help us to think beyond ourselves
Help us to consider the most vulnerable first
Help us to love You and one another
After all, in the words of Thomas Merton—Love is everything**
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
**Audio recording of Thomas Merton from the film, Day of a Stranger, directed by Cassidy Hall — https://www.wmm.com/sponsored-project/day-of-a-stranger/
